myRaceKit | Blog

With only a few weeks to go to Marathon des Sables, it’s time to get your shoes and feet ready for the task ahead. The risk of blisters, infection and other complications are particularly higher than usual due to the extreme environment you’ll be running in. By now, hopefully you will have chosen your shoes. If you haven’t, then check out our previous blog post that offers some tips for shoe types, sizing, and fit. You can run in MDS in road or trail shoes, but there are a few considerations... Read More

Today’s blog post is an Exclusive Interview with ultra-running legend and five times UTMB winner Lizzy Hawker and renowned race organiser Richard Bull about Ultra Tour Monte Rosa (UTMR) brought to you by Rebeca Enrooth on behalf of myRaceKit. -How did Ultra Tour Monte Rosa come about as a race? Lizzy: The Pennine Alps around Monte Rosa & the Matterhorn is where I fell in love with the mountains at the age of six. In the years while I was training for UTMB I would get tired of repeating that... Read More

In Lizzy Hawker’s book Runner there is an episode where Lizzy has returned to Kathmandu after another monstrous run in the Himalayas. Richard Bull and she are on a roof top, drinking milky tea and stargazing, reflecting over the question: Why do we run? Their answers are philosophical. I ask myself the very same question as I climb Colle del Turlo. Although, my question is highly relevant; the climb is gruesome. My legs are aching. Every time I advance, turning a corner, the climb appears even longer. Do endless... Read More

Ever felt like combining running in an epically scenic environment as well as enjoying a luxury lodge? The 100km of Namib Desertmight be the right option for you! After doing many wonderful running holidays usually involving self-sufficiency, carrying a sleeping bag and mat, the combination of running and pure indulgence was tempting. I signed up for the 100km of Namib Desert which is a four-stage race covering 15km, 42km, 26km and 21km. The stages are varied; one savanna stage, a marathon mountain ridge stage, a canyon stage and a sand... Read More

Written by Mark Buley (@CostaMENAI ) “I’ve learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers fear. (Nelson Mandela)” Over the past year, I began running ultra’s (Running events over 50km) as a way to keep fit and to ward off the Dubai stone that comes to many aging expats. Experiencing my first Ultra in October 2017, I quickly realized that whilst there was a physical upside, the true benefit of my... Read More

Author: Mark Buley It was with some trepidation, back in July 2017 that I, along with Gary Turnbull made the decision to enter the Marathon Des Sables, the often credited “World’s Toughest Footrace”. People question the motivation, logic and reasoning. For me its about challenges, I had tasted challenges and moved away from the inner circle of my abilities (the comfort zone) and wanted more, to explore the boundaries and limits beyond those boundaries (do limits exist?). For those who are not (yet) familiar, the MDS is a 6 stage... Read More

Oman by UTMB® is a runner’s dream – an ultra trail along mountain top ridges, through villages, palm plantations, deep wadis and narrow gorges. The journey will lead runners off the beaten tourist tracks, allowing them to explore the Sultanate’s hidden gems that are located deep within its rugged, untouched landscapes. Our dear friend and journalist Mark Buley (@run_beyond) was recently fortunate enough to catch up with Samantha Chan, Hoka One One Athlete, ahead of her assault on UTMB Oman. Samantha is an experienced Elite Hong Kong trail runner with a notable... Read More

** Join our myDesert Running Forum on Facebook to chat with new and experienced desert runners about kit, training and more ** Every year there is a big debate about gaiters for the Marathon Des Sables (MDS) and other desert races. What are the options? Which gaiter is the best? How should it be fitted? This can make it quite confusing so we’ll cover these questions and help you choose the right gaiter for YOU. Considerations when Choosing your Desert Gaiters: What is right for one person may not be... Read More

** Join our myDesert Running Forum on Facebook to chat with new and experienced desert runners about kit, training and more ** What do we know about multi-stage desert racing? We have completed the Marathon des Sables in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Elisabet won the race in 2015 and 2017. She is also the Oman Desert Marathon Ladies’ champion, and has raced in deserts in South Africa, Namibia and Australia (she won the Big Red Run in the Simpson desert outright in 2016), having completed 13 multi-stages. We have the most current... Read More

** Join our myDesert Running Forum on Facebook to chat with new and experienced desert runners about kit, training and more ** Cooking Equipment for races such as the Marathon des Sables It is not compulsory to take a stove in MDS and some people opt to eat their food cold. If you are fast enough you can use the afternoon sun to warm your water and/or your food. A hot meal or cup of hot tea of coffee can be a great morale booster so don’t under estimate the value... Read More